UK citizens 'joining al Qaida camp'

US officials believe British citizens of Pakistani descent may be travelling to new al Qaida training camps set up in Pakistan near the Afghan border, according to a report.

Both American and foreign intelligence services think at least one of the camps started in the last year might be training operatives capable of striking Western targets, the New York Times said.

American intelligence and counterterrorism officials told the newspaper senior al Qaida leaders operating from Pakistan had regained significant control over their terror network, suggesting it was now gaining in strength.

There was mounting evidence that Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri had been steadily building an operations hub in the mountainous tribal area of North Waziristan, they said.

Groups of 10 to 20 men were being trained at the camps, the officials added, and at one they might be being instructed in carrying out strikes against targets beyond Afghanistan.

The newspaper reported: "A particular concern is that the camps are frequented by British citizens of Pakistani descent who travel to Pakistan on British passports."

It said that until recently, the US administration had described bin Laden and al-Zawahri as cut off from their followers and operational control of al Qaida.

But concern about a resurgent al Qaida has been the subject of intensive discussion at high levels of the Bush administration, the officials said.

In 2005 American intelligence assessments described senior terror leaders as cut off from their foot soldiers and only capable of providing inspiration for future attacks.

Analysts said the compounds were operated under a loose command structure by groups of Arab, Pakistani and Afghan militants allied with al Qaida, receiving guidance from their commanders and al-Zawahri.

Bin Laden appeared to have little direct involvement. The officials said the US still had little idea where the two men had been hiding since 2001.